Both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre did something that few hunters can say that they have reached.
They left the sport at the top after they had retired as UFC champions without being beaten of their perch because they kept around for too long.
After the death of his father and coach, Nurmagomedov put down his gloves in the Octagon Na UFC 254 and walked away in 2020 with an unbeaten record of 29-0.
Although St-Pierre had a brief return, injuries prevented him from competing after he won the middleweight title with 'Rush' to leave the belt.
Now another man in the UFC Hall of Fame and a good friend of Nurmagomedov spoke about how he wishes him to have ended his career in a similar way.
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Daniel Cormier wishes him to retire like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Georges St-Pierre
During a recent performance on the Wolfpak -Podcast, Daniel Cormier opened MMA pensioning and why so many hunters end their career in the hard way.
'DC' pulled out of personal experience while talking about the last two fights of his career, where he completed his trilogy of attacks with Stipe Miocic for the heavyweight title.
At UFC 226 in 2018, Cormier History wrote as a simultaneous double champion by putting Miocic in the first round to keep both the heavyweight and the light heavyweight titles above his head.
He defeated Derrick Lewis later that year before losing back-to-back for Miocic, who took place for almost exactly a year.
Cormier said that for hunters who come at the end of their career, they have to listen to the signs instead of ignoring them.
“Your mind will actually tell you. You know when it is time. Not everyone gets what Khabib has. Khabib literally got a fairy tale. He and Georges St-Pierre have to leave at the top. Not everyone gets that.
“Listen to what is available – the signs, everything that ping your mind. If you no longer like to train, you are probably ready. If you don't like the competition or look forward to it, you are probably ready.”
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Cormier's coach, Javier Mendez, also appeared on the podcast and added that he did not want his hunter to fight against Miocic for a second and third time.
'DC' agreed that this was probably the right call, but at the time he did not pay attention to everything that was at the retirement, including the limitations that were prepared for his preparations because of the pandemic.
“To be honest, I didn't have to fight that last fight against Stepe, the last two. I didn't have to fight. I just wanted to fight and I wasn't ready to let go.
“At the time there was far too much money, the money was far too good, but we did a training camp in my garage because they closed AKA. I should have recognized it and listened to everything.”
Daniel Cormier suffered two of his three defeats for career in his last Octagon appearances
On the way to the first of his three fights with Stipe Miocic, Daniel Cormier had only one defeat on his record.
He was defeated by Jon Jones through a unanimous decision on UFC 182 and although 'Bones' canceled his hand for the second time in their UFC 214 -Rematch, the result was later destroyed.
Although Cormier's second fight with Miocic gave a major collision for the heavyweight title, his legacy would have been even stronger if he had run away before he lost the belt at UFC 241.
Their third and final meeting, which took place at the UFC Apex, was a strange fight everywhere, but it also offered the clear marker that it was time for Cormier to call it a day.